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Saturday, 19 December 2015

Muir welcomes Kinnegar Sewage Works progress

Councillor Muir at Kinnegar Lagoons

I welcome progress achieved to end the sewage pollution problem at Kinnegar Lagoons, Holywood. In a recent update from NI Water it was confirmed that £4.5 million scheme is still due to be completed by Summer 2016.

After relentless lobbying since 2010 I am glad to see construction work continuing as per timescale. For far too long people living, working, visiting or travelling past Holywood have had to endure awful odour as a result of chronic pollution permitted by NI Water into the scenic Kinnegar Lagoons. Following numerous meetings with NI Water, lobbying of the Regional Development Minister, a formal complaint to both the NI Environment Agency and the European Commissioner for the Environment I was delighted to see £4.5million awarded to address the pollution problem and construction work commencing in 2015.

With the construction project involving tunnelling underneath the busy A2 Bangor to Belfast Dual Carriageway and Railway Line plus past a major gas pipeline I am glad to see work continuing apace and the challenges in relation to the gas pipeline outlined and being addressed to ensure project completion as planned in Summer 2016.

Following completion of the construction works the focus must then turn to remedial work to return Kinnegar Lagoons back to the environmental haven once enjoyed by wildlife until the pollution occurred. I look forward to working with NI Water to bring the entire project to completion after a long but yet determined campaign which will hopefully improve the environment for future generations.